[jseah]

part 7.5 IoM

Spoiler

As part of an attempt to divert IoM attention from us, we have decided that a small show of our informational capabilities was adequate. Taking over their poorly understood cogitators and planting worms was easy enough, even worms that avoided their surprisingly thorough internal scans even if ritualistic.

Using these worms, we proceeded to display a data dump of all our observed Chaos cells on planets within 20 light years of Terra. Many of these cells were positively identified by mind-scan although details about how we discovered them was not mentioned. One instance of a small dormant Gene-stealer cult (IoM name) was also included.
Despite the void shields that were raised, the worms managed to manipulate the shielding frequencies to allow limited effector penetration, all without the IoM noticing (their sensors were also bugged).

Having demonstrated our infiltration capabilities, the IoM took all their electronic equipment and collected them for analysis. We self-destructed our worms but left the data dump. In the coming weeks, we should see if the IoM present any reaction to the mentioned Chaos cells and the gene-stealer cult.

We hope that if the IoM confirm our covert aid is truth, then we may have some level of cooperation. And indeed, if we manage to catch Chaos or Tyranid infestations early, the IoM may never need to resort to mass deaths and planetary extinction to contain the worst cases, which would greatly improve the IoM society of fear in general.
This can be considered a pilot trial of this tactic. Other such trials may need to be considered in case this specific inquisitor has a problem with the information.

How might the Inquisitor react to these Xenos if they just dump him a list of Chaos cults and Chaos people?

They might be Xenos and not trustable, but would he investigate?


part 7.5 Necrons - start

Spoiler

Week 1
A Necron ship around the world has left orbit and is travelling by hyperspace towards a distant system. ROU White Devil is now tailing that ship with a hyperspace drone.
Their hyperspace drive appears to run on different principles to our own. Theirs does not permit in-system FTL.

Meanwhile, negotiations with the Necrons have met a roadblock. The Necrons are not interested in an exchange program or mutual embassies, although a technology exchange might be possible. They appear to want to understand our intelligence engineering technology, despite being inorganic (and therefore engineered) intelligences themselves.

This is considered strong evidence that the Necrons, while almost HS-like in behaviour, were made that way and there might be hope of reforming them. As part of their behaviour is coded directly into their structure in some unknown fashion, helping the Necrons appears to require us to understand their technology or them to understand ours.

Understandably, both sides still lack enough trust in each other to perform an outright technological trade. And since the Necrons will appear to come into conflict with the IoM, judging by IoM records, we may also be required to negotiate a peace between the Necrons and the IoM.

We have inquired as to what the Necron Lord aims to do.

Would the Necrons tell the Culture what they were up to? (find their Core worlds and activate them)

Would the Necron Lord tell the Culture what the Necrons ultimately want? (they want their planets back and where those planets are)